The present invention relates to a motorcycle front fork spring and spring cap installation and removal tool for installing and removing a motorcycle spring within the motorcycle spring housing.
Many motorcycles require that the front fork springs be removed in order to change the hydraulic fluid after which the spring must be reinstalled. This operation is difficult because the springs are compressed within a spring housing and locked in place with a cap over, the housing. In order to remove the springs when replacing the hydraulic fluid in the spring housing, or to replace a spring or leaking seal, requires that the cap be removed by threading the cap from the housing. The cap typically has a hex head opening for inserting a hex head wrench for removing the cap. However, once the cap comes loose from the housing, the compressed spring can cause injury upon being released. In addition, to reinstall the spring in the front fork housing requires that the spring be placed in the housing and the cap on top of the spring and the spring forced into the housing while the cap is being rotated to threadedly reattach the cap to lock the spring in the fork spring housing. In the past, this has been a difficult maintenance operation and has resulted in injuries during the release or compressing of the spring within the fork spring housing.
The present invention is directed towards safely removing the fork spring and fork spring retainer cap from the fork spring housing and for reinstalling the fork spring in the fork spring housing and the fork spring retainer cap after the hydraulic fluid has been changed within the fork spring housing.
Prior art patents which compress and release springs of various types may be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,571,884 for a sheave flange opening device which is a screw operated mechanism for mounting and removing a sheave on compression of a spring. In the Corrigan U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,377, a recoil spring lock device for a tracked vehicle is provided. In the Vogt U.S. Pat. No. 1,087,337, a valve clamp for clamping engine valves has a locking mechanism in a threaded shaft operated from a handle for closing the valve in a bore or the like. In the Papapetros U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,644, a motor vehicle servicing tool is provided for compressing a coil spring of the vehicle suspension strut and includes a threaded shaft rotated with a handle for compressing a spring. In the Pace U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,354, a coil spring compressor uses a threaded shaft for compressing a spring. The Smyser U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,157, has a spring compressor for a shock absorber.
In contrast to these prior art spring compressors, the present invention is directed towards a cap and spring installation and removal tool for installing and removing a motorcycle fork spring in a motorcycle fork spring housing and thus provides for simultaneous removal of the motorcycle fork spring retainer cap and fork spring and includes engagements for the fork spring retainer cap and the motorcycle spring housing.